The U.S. Supreme Court made the right decision when it rejected a challenge to the common practice of counting all residents, not just U.S. citizens, when adjusting the size of voting districts.

The challenge was based on complaints that some areas included large numbers of non-citizens. But it also applies to places like Southeast Texas, which has large numbers of state and federal prison inmates. Those inmates can't vote if they have felony convictions, but the city or county where they reside is still responsible for their care.

If the court had exempted people like inmates from redistricting, it could affect other issues connected to them - like funding for highways used by vehicles that travel to prisons.

Above all, the 14th Amendment says congressional representatives shall be allocated by "counting the whole number of persons in each state."

That's pretty clear, and this recurring issue needs to be retired once and for all.